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Birding in Sri Lanka & South India

13 Nights & 14 Days

Overview

This birding trip is focussed on the tropical climate regions of Sri Lanka and the southern part of India. Both are veritable stops for birding enthusiasts with a large variety of migratory and endemic avian creatures. Along with the birds, one gets a close look at the local culture and the stunning countryside. This trip is perfect to trail the green belt of the Sri Lanka and to get an insight into the Indian southern belt as well.

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Highlights

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Waikkal / Day 01

On arrival at the Bandaranayke International Airport, you will get your first taste of warm Sri Lankan hospitality. Our representative will welcome you at the airport and transfer to Waikkal. In the evening visit Muthurajawela. Muthurajawela is located south of Negombo in the Colombo district. A vast area of marshland and mangrove vegetation with an […]

Kithulgala / Day 02

Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Kithulgala. Kithulgala is one of the most scenic locations in the island and also a centre for many nature and adventure related activities which include White Water Rafting, visits to rainforests and the Belilena prehistoric cave. It is also one of the gateways to the hill country.

Rathnapura / Day 03

In the morning some birding in the remnant Wet Zone forests close to the Kitulgala Rest House in the morning and after breakfast go across the Kelani River in a dugout canoe to visit the Kelani Valley Forest Reserve which is a lowland tropical rainforest with a high diversity of endemic fauna and flora. There […]

Sinharaja / Day 04

Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to visit Sinharaja. Sinharaja is the only “World Heritage Site” Rain Forest in Sri Lanka, with a very high rate of bio-diversity. The vegetation is tropical wet evergreen forest and the area under the reserve is 11,187 hectares. Out of the 331 woody trees and lianas identified 192 (60%) […]

Embilipitiya – Udawalawa National Park / Day 05

Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Embilipitiya. Check-in to the hotel and relax. In the evening do safari at Udawalawa National Park. The Udawalawe National Park is renowned for its outstanding scenic beauty and wealth of faunal species, particularly mammals and birds. It is a famous tourist attraction throughout the year for its unique […]

Yala / Day 06

Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Yala. Enroute visit Bundala National Park. Bundala National Park is the latest addition to Sri Lanka”s National parks which is situated 250 kms away from Colombo. All species of water birds resident in the country and migrant birds inhabit this park.

Nuwara Eliya / Day 07

Yala is the largest National Park in Sri Lanka which is the home for wild Elephants, wild boars, wild buffaloes, leopards, bears, deer and crocodiles. Large flocks of migratory and indigenous birds are also found here. Transfer to Nuwara Eliya. Visit Nuwara Eliya, because of its invigorating mountain climate and scenery Sri Lanka s most […]

Kandy / Day 08

Breakfast at hotel and transfer to visit Haggala Gardens. The Haggala botanical gardens were founded in 1860 by the eminent British botanist Dr. G.H.K. Thwaites who was superintendent of the more famous gardens at Peradeniya. Haggala botanical gardens were once the pleasure garden of Ravana of the Ramayana epic and according to many, it was […]

Kochi / Day 09

Breakfast at hotel and transfer to the airport for the departure flight To Kochi, in Kerala, India. Day is at leisure with some birding at the coastal areas.

Thattekad Bird Sanctuary / Day 10, 11 & 12

Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, or Salim Ali Valley as it is affectionately known, is a tremendous and as yet little visited place. It is alive with Indian Golden, Black-headed and Black-naped Orioles. It was here that David Attenborough filmed Rufous Woodpeckers, nesting in the still-occupied nest of ferocious tree ants. The Greater Racket-tailed Drongo and beautiful […]

Valparai / Day 13 - 14

Valparai is a little know tea estate area with lush forests and wonderful bio-diversity. Located about 3500 feet from the sea level on the Anamalai mountain range of the Western Ghats the place stands majestically amidst Green Spread Mountains and evergreen forests. Being a wonderful biodiversity spot, it is also a great place for bird […]

Cochin / Day 15

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Birding in Sri Lanka & South India

13 Nights & 14 Days

Waikkal - Kithulgala - Rathnapura - Sinharaja - Embilipitiya – Udawalawa National Park - Yala - Nuwara Eliya - Kandy - Kochi - Thattekad Bird Sanctuary - Valparai - Cochin

Waikkal / Day 01
On arrival at the Bandaranayke International Airport, you will get your first taste of warm Sri Lankan hospitality. Our representative will welcome you at the airport and transfer to Waikkal. In the evening visit Muthurajawela. Muthurajawela is located south of Negombo in the Colombo district. A vast area of marshland and mangrove vegetation with an extent of 3100 hectares of which 1000 hectares is declared as sanctuary. This important wetland habitat is home to 85 resident birds.
Kithulgala / Day 02
Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Kithulgala. Kithulgala is one of the most scenic locations in the island and also a centre for many nature and adventure related activities which include White Water Rafting, visits to rainforests and the Belilena prehistoric cave. It is also one of the gateways to the hill country.
Rathnapura / Day 03
In the morning some birding in the remnant Wet Zone forests close to the Kitulgala Rest House in the morning and after breakfast go across the Kelani River in a dugout canoe to visit the Kelani Valley Forest Reserve which is a lowland tropical rainforest with a high diversity of endemic fauna and flora. There after transfer to Rathnapura. Evening at leisure or visits around the area.
Sinharaja / Day 04
Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to visit Sinharaja. Sinharaja is the only “World Heritage Site” Rain Forest in Sri Lanka, with a very high rate of bio-diversity. The vegetation is tropical wet evergreen forest and the area under the reserve is 11,187 hectares. Out of the 331 woody trees and lianas identified 192 (60%) are endemic at Sinharaja. Regarding Fauna 141 bird species recorded here and about 28 are endemic (34 for the entire country), Butterflies 65 species (01 endemic), Fishes 10 (07 endemic), Amphibians 19 (08 endemic), Reptiles & Snakes 29 (14 endemic), and Mammals 40 (07 endemic). Sinharaja is the only relatively undisturbed rain forest of any considerable size and many of the plants are very rare and are represented by only one individual of its kind in a large area. Overnight, back in Rathnapura.
Embilipitiya – Udawalawa National Park / Day 05
Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Embilipitiya. Check-in to the hotel and relax. In the evening do safari at Udawalawa National Park. The Udawalawe National Park is renowned for its outstanding scenic beauty and wealth of faunal species, particularly mammals and birds. It is a famous tourist attraction throughout the year for its unique fauna and flora. The Park is situated in the dry zone and conditions of the physical features are characterized by an annual drought coinciding with the southwest monsoon. The predominant ecosystem of the park area is the forest area with scattered grasslands and thorny shrubs. There are herds of elephants while populations of sambhar, spotted deer, barking deer, wild boar and water buffalo are gradually re-establishing themselves.
Yala / Day 06
Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Yala. Enroute visit Bundala National Park. Bundala National Park is the latest addition to Sri Lanka''s National parks which is situated 250 kms away from Colombo. All species of water birds resident in the country and migrant birds inhabit this park.
Nuwara Eliya / Day 07
Yala is the largest National Park in Sri Lanka which is the home for wild Elephants, wild boars, wild buffaloes, leopards, bears, deer and crocodiles. Large flocks of migratory and indigenous birds are also found here. Transfer to Nuwara Eliya. Visit Nuwara Eliya, because of its invigorating mountain climate and scenery Sri Lanka s most popular hill resort. Nuwara Eliya is also the Heart of Sri Lanka s tea country producing a significant share of the world Best tea. Sri Lanka s highest mountain Pidurutalagala (8282 feet) is located here. Nuwara-Eliya also has one of the finest 18 hole golf courses in South Asia.
Kandy / Day 08
Breakfast at hotel and transfer to visit Haggala Gardens. The Haggala botanical gardens were founded in 1860 by the eminent British botanist Dr. G.H.K. Thwaites who was superintendent of the more famous gardens at Peradeniya. Haggala botanical gardens were once the pleasure garden of Ravana of the Ramayana epic and according to many, it was one of the places where the beautiful Sitha was hidden by the demon king. Transfer to Kandy. In the afternoon visit Udawattekele Forest reserve. Udawattakele is a Buddhist sanctuary and there is a temple in the vicinity. Vegetation comprises fairly dense forest, mostly plantation and secondary formations. About 80 species of bird have been recorded from the area. In the evening Visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy. Thereafter witness the cultural show.
Kochi / Day 09
Breakfast at hotel and transfer to the airport for the departure flight To Kochi, in Kerala, India. Day is at leisure with some birding at the coastal areas.
Thattekad Bird Sanctuary / Day 10, 11 & 12
Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, or Salim Ali Valley as it is affectionately known, is a tremendous and as yet little visited place. It is alive with Indian Golden, Black-headed and Black-naped Orioles. It was here that David Attenborough filmed Rufous Woodpeckers, nesting in the still-occupied nest of ferocious tree ants. The Greater Racket-tailed Drongo and beautiful Indian Pitta are in good numbers here, as are Asian Fairy Bluebirds, Small Sunbirds and Flame-throated Bulbuls. The rare Black Baza is a resident. Ceylon Frogmouth has been found to be common along with Malabar Whistling Thrush, Tickell’s Flycatcher and much more.
Valparai / Day 13 - 14
Valparai is a little know tea estate area with lush forests and wonderful bio-diversity. Located about 3500 feet from the sea level on the Anamalai mountain range of the Western Ghats the place stands majestically amidst Green Spread Mountains and evergreen forests. Being a wonderful biodiversity spot, it is also a great place for bird watching and hosts seasonal migrant birds such as the grey wagtail along with the Great Hornbill, the Malabar Pied Hornbill and the Grey Malabar Hornbill which can be spotted here. The Valparai range is also a habitat to the Nilgiri tahr, a mountain goat that inhabit the high ranges and prefer open terrain, cliffs and grass-covered hills, a habitat largely confined to altitudes from 1200 to 2600m in the southern Western Ghats.
Cochin / Day 15
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